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Srinagar, July 26: General Secretary Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), J&K, Ashok Kaul has said that conducive atmosphere is not here for restoration of statehood.

“We are also demanding statehood. But It does not happen in one go and it takes times. For this, situation should return to normal. Separatism will be curbed. We have also demanded many times that statehood should be given to J&K. We are not opposing it. But there is no such conducive atmosphere for its restoration.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the Parliament on August 5 that statehood would be restored once the situation improves in J&K.

The Center on August 5 scrapped Articles 370 and 35A, (which granted special status and special privileges to J&K residents), and bifurcated J&K state into two UTs– Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

National Conference patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah a day before called for restoration of statehood to J&K and hoped the apex court would render justice by striking down the repeal of Article 370 provisions.

Some days before broke the news about the meetiy between Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prime Minister in which former also demanded restoration of statehood followed by assembly elections .

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari has also demanded that statehood of J&K should be restored on August 5, when it was split last year into two Union Territories.

However the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah in an article written in Delhi based daily paper has said that he will not contest assembly elections till the time J&K remains a Union Territory. (KNS)